Urology/Testicular torsion

I'm 19 years old. Lately, i've been really afraid of getting testicular torsion. Oe of my friends who recently had it, said it wasone of the most painful thing he ever experienced in his life, and he had multiple broken bones during his life. I've been reading more into it, and it seems that even the smallest things can set it off. I'm paranoid of doing anything.
My testicles more up and down quite freely, tho when they move, the bottom part of the testicular sack moves aswell, i think. Well, it's not like they move completely freely, as if the sack was a vacuum and they were floating around. They interact with the sac, as if they were glued ever so slightly to it.

Still, i'm really paranoid abit it. I'm active in sports and also sexually active, but for the past few days, i'm just too scared to do anything. Too scared to even move too fast.

Just how common is this condition? Is there anything one can do to prevent it from happening? What are some factors that I can use as hints to know if i'm more/less susceptible to this condition.

AnswerPaul:

The overall incidence is abouit 1 in 5,000 so your risk 1/50th of 1%. Your anxiety and paranoia over this is misguided. Further, there really isn't anything you can do about it except to have your personal physician or a urologist check to make sure your anatomy is normal. There is really nothing you can do to determine for yourself if you are likely to be prone to torsion or not, but if you're 19 and you haven't had it yet you are probably over the highest risk period.

Expertise

Questions concerning erectile dysfunction, kidney stones and prostate disorders including prostate cancer. I have a special interest in kidney stone disease prevention.

Experience

Full time practicing urologist with 30 years experience. Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of Urology at Creighton University Medical Center. Editor in Chief of eMedicine Urology internet textbook. Author of only NIH approved book written for patients by a urologist on the subject of kidney stones "The Kidney Stones Handbook". Inventor of the "Parachute" and "Escape" kidney stone baskets and the "Calculus" stone prevention analysis computer program.

PublicationsMen's Health, Journal of Urology, Urology, Healthwatch Magazine, Emergency Medicine Monthly, eMedicine, "The Kidney Stones Handbook", and numerous articles in various newspapers. He is also the editor of the Urology Board Review by McGraw-Hill used by urologists to study for their Board Certification Examinations.

Education/CredentialsGraduate of New York Medical College with residencies completed at Metropolitan Hospital New York, Albany Medical Center and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Awards and HonorsThirlby Award of the American Urological Association. Rated as one the country's Best Urologists by the Independent Consumer's Research Institute